This chapter starts from two assumptions. First, Western European societies are characterized by changing religious, ethnic and linguistic diversity. Second, this is perceived as a challenge to both existing knowledge and practice, while at the same time it lays the basis for new knowledge and practice. The chapter discusses how knowledge production and the development of new practices may come about simultaneously, using action research as a way of addressing existing social complexity. We also revisit an earlier action research project, which focused on religious education and diversity. A main aim was how to deal with sociocultural diversity as part of subject area teaching and learning. The chapter addresses how theory was used and subsequently developed through different phases of three sub-projects.
Denna skriftserie ska bidra till att stärka ämnesfältet humanioras ämnesdidaktik
genom att belysa såväl specifika ämnesdidaktiska frågor och övergripande tematiker
som skilda metoder och teoretiska impulser. Skriftserien lyfter även fram hur
olika ämnesdidaktiska perspektiv kan belysa de frågor som gäller undervisning
och lärande i humanistiska ämnen. På detta sätt ämnar skriftserien vara ett tillskott
i diskussionen om humanioras relation till frågan om vad ämnesdidaktik är
och kan vara i förhållande till olika utbildningspraktiker, sammanhang och (skol)
ämnesområden. Skriftserien lyfter fram ämnesdidaktikens tvärvetenskaplighet
och dess komplexitet. Vår målgrupp är lärarstuderande, verksamma lärare och
lärarutbildare samt forskare. De olika utgåvorna av skriftserien kan användas som
kurslitteratur eller i fortbildningssyfte.
The project Religious Education at Schools in Europe (REL-EDU), which is divided up into six volumes (Central Europe, Western Europe, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe), aims to research the situation with regard to religious education in Europe. The third volume outlines the organisational form of religious education in the countries of Northern Europe (Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Iceland). This is done on the basis of thirteen key issues, which allows specific points of comparison between different countries in Europe. Thereby the volume focusses the comparative approach and facilitates further research into specific aspects of the comparison.
Artikkelen tar utgangspunkt i spenningen mellom kunnskap (knowledge) og danning (formation) og utvikler dette som religionsdidaktisk problematikk ved hjelp av impulser fra engelsk religionsdidaktikk som tale rom å lære om og å lære av religion i skolen. Michael Grimmitt, Andrew Wright og Robert Jackson diskuteres i forhold til hverandre og det påpekes hvordan de alle fører den religionsdidaktiske diskusjon i nær kontakt med bredere tankestrømmer i pedagogisk og filosofisk tenkning. Denne diskusjon føres videre inn i nordisk religionsdidaktisk debatt via Bråtens komparative studie og ved hjelp av Berndt Gustavssons danningsteoretiske perspektiver. Her vektlegges samspillet mellom ulike dimensjoner i danningen og det demonstreres hvordan dette kan bidra til å fange inn nyere forskningsbidrag i religionsdidaktikken. Konklusjonen er at fagdidaktisk debatt og forskning tjener på å bli sett i lys av mer allmenpedagogiske perspektiver og at den kan bidra til utdyping av den allmenpedagogiske debatt om skolens innhold og mål.
The debate about Norwegian religious education, since the change towards a more multi-faith and non-confessional school subject in 1997, has often touched upon issues of impartiality, using concepts such as neutral, objective, descriptive, critical and pluralistic. Still, international Human Rights bodies have criticised Norwegian regulations for religious education and by this contributed to change of both curriculum and practice. This makes the Norwegian example interesting from an international perspective. The national debates are, however, complex and sometimes confusing. Sometimes legal and educational perspectives on religious education may seem to be incommensurable, and also pedagogical, academic and even epistemological traditions differ. The article analyses and discusses Norwegian public debate as well as religious education research in order to approach general issues of impartiality and neutrality in non-confessional religious education. It argues that these issues should be contextualised both on a national and sub-national level and discusses what this means for the work in classrooms. Research suggests that teachers struggle with complex issues related to partiality and impartiality in their teaching; but that they have little opportunity to discuss their experiences. The debate about principles therefore needs to be accompanied by more cooperation between researchers and teachers in developing good teaching and learning.
Artikkelen gir et overblikk over hvordan nyere nordisk religionsdidaktisk forskning har nærmet seg spørsmål om mangfoldets utfordringer og muligheter. Overblikket baseres på analyse av doktoravhandlinger, noen forskningsprosjekter og en del artikler. Det spørres om hvordan forskningen beskriver religions- og livssynsmangfoldet, hvilke religionsdidaktiske utfordringer den mener mangfoldet reiser og hvilke strategier lærerne kan ta i bruk i arbeid med faget i klasserommet? Analysen viser at forskningen er omfattende og økende, men omfanget varierer mellom de nordiske landene. Den aktuelle forskningen bidrar i betydelig grad til å forstå og problematisere religionsundervisningens plass og rolle i et samfunn som preges av økt religions- og livssynsmangfold, og til å forstå at forskningsfeltet er blitt til i et samspill mellom ulike akademiske disipliner, og dessuten mellom politikk, forskning og praksis. Resultatene fra forskningen bidrar først og fremst til å belyse mangfoldets omfang og kompleksitet, samt at det i varierende grad fanges opp av læreplaner og undervisning. Det er mindre av forskning som belyser lærerarbeidet, læreprosesser og resultater av undervisningen. Forskningen viser også at religions- og livssynsmangfold må ses som en viktig del av forutsetningene for undervisning og læring i alle fag, og i religions- og livssynsfagene er den i dag en selvsagt forutsetning, uavhengig av hvordan disse er organisert i de ulike landene.
Based on empirical study of the memory material after the terrorist attacks in Norway 2011, this paper discusses how religion and nation is intertwined in popular expressions of values like democracy, openness and tolerance. Such values were prominent in the aftermath of 22. July and seemed to express a strong unity between government and people. Here religion plays a 67 complex role. The perpetrator saw his mission as defending the Christian religion and national heritage, particularly against Islam. Immediately after the attack, Muslims were blamed for carrying it out, before the majority background of Anders B. Breivik was known. In memory messages, religion often merged with national and societal values. Encountering this material, future religious education can play a critical and also constructive role by investigating and challenging the past and present role of religion in society.
Norwegian religious education research has produced more than 30 dissertations since late1990’s and has a strong and growing research record in spite of a rather weak and vulnerable position in academic structures. In order to assess the situation and to discuss future possibilities, the article presents the research context and go on to discuss the dissertations of Geir Skeie (1998) and Bengt-Ove Andreassen (2007). It is argued that they have many similarities, but also differences in the way they address the field and discuss epistemological issues. Theory, method and effects of the dissertations in the research community are mentioned and this leads to a deliberation about the role of academic disciplines in the construction of religious education research. A final discussion concludes that systematic reviews of religious education research would be helpful in order to develop future research and to avoid less fruitful disciplinary rivalries.
The article discusses the ‘European dimension’ in a Norwegian context with focus on the relevance for young people in particular. Against a backdrop of literature discussing Norwegian majority self-understanding in relation to Europe, the article discusses some examples that are relevant for addressing the overall theme, namely recent work-migration to Norway and the terrorist attacks of 22. July 2011. As different as they may be, both these cases are raising urgent issues related to socio-cultural diversity, inclusion and resilience and it is suggested that this may be addressed more in citizenship education.
The symposium takes the terror attacks of 22. July 2011 in Norway as a starting point for reflection on the position of values and human rights in religious education. Actions of terror directed against democracy and diverse societies are a challenge to education as a democratic and critical enterprise. It is also a challenge to understand, reflect on and work with experiences of terror and the collective memory linked to such events. The papers in this symposium approach the issue from different angles and in different ways, but a common question asked in this symposium is how religious education can and should respond to acts of terror directed against basic societal and cultural values and human rights.
Artikkelen drøfter religion i skolen basert på et nylig avsluttet forskningsprosjekt som har sett på såkalt «livskunskap» i Sverige og drøfter dette opp mot situasjonen i norsk skole. «Livskunskap» dekker en variert praksis fra mobbeprogrammer til yoga, og legitimering av virksomheten viser til både skolens verdigrunnlag, forebyggende helse, sosioemosjonell læring og personlig utvikling. Også mindfulnesstenkning med sin buddhistiske bakgrunn blir satt inn i denne brede sammenhengen. I Norge kan man spore en liknende utvikling med bruk av ulike sosioemosjonelle programmer i skolen, men foreløpig med mindre religiøs tilknytning enn i Sverige. På bakgrunn av diskusjonen foreslås det at religion i skolen bør utforskes ut fra et åpent religionsbegrep som ikke har rigide skillelinjer mellom det religiøse og det sekulære.